Protective helmet



Oct. 30, 19 34. D. A. FORTUNATO 1,973,994

PROTECTIVE HELMET Filed May 28, 1952 INVENTOR DomemcA.Fovtunato.

ATTORNEY Patented Get. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES Thisinvention relates to helmets for use by firemen, shipwrecked persons,and others and is adapted to protect the wearers head and emcientlyremove moisture and impurities from the air-being breathed.

One object of this invention is to provide a helmet of the above naturehaving eye pieces to insure proper vision, a mouthpiece havingwater-shielding means, and means for preventing leakage of water intothe helmet around the neck.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature having anadjustable respiratory device through which the wearer may selectivelybreathe air through a filter or directly from the atmosphere.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature having meansoperable from the exterior for cleaning ofi any mist or moisture thatmay collect on the inside of the eye pieces.

A further object is to provide a helmet of the above nature which willbe simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to put onand manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be convenientlyembodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the improved helmet as itappears when fitted to a persons head.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the same on an enlargedscale, the persons head being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View showing the eyepieces and the cleaner.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10indicates a helmet preferably made from stiff rubber and adapted to fitloosely over a persons head. The lower open end of the helmet has a 5flexible neck piece 11 cemented or vulcanized l thereto and designed tosnugly surround or encompass the neck of the wearer.

In order to afford suitable vision for the wearer, the helmet 10 isprovided with a pair of 0 spaced circular apertures 12 and 13 havingsuit- -able transparent eye pieces 14 and 15, such as non-shatterableglass or mica, fitted therein. The eye pieces 14 and 15 are permanentlysecured in place by means of a pair of annular flexible retaining rings16 and 17 cemented or otherwise attached to the interior surface of saidhelmet 10, as shown in Fig. 3.

In case the eye pieces 14 and 15 should become clouded with mist or fogfrom condensation of moisture, provision is made of a wiper 69 membercomprising an absorbent sponge 18 at-- tached to the end of a U-shapedwire member 19 pivoted between the eye pieces 14 and 15. The wiper 18 isadapted to be manually operated from the outside or said helmet 10 bymeans of a handle member 20 forming one of the legs of the wire member19. If desired, a raised rubber piece 21 of the same thickness as andflush with the retaining rings 16 and 17 may be secured to the interiorsurface of the helmet, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the wiper 18 willslide along a surface on the same plane as the rings 16 and 17, and thusprevent excessive wear.

The helmet 10 has a forwardly extending cupshaped nose piece 22 of thinflexible rubber material which is secured to the edge of an aperture 23out within said hood 10. A pair of wire pinchers 24 having crossed jawmembers 25 and 26 extends rearwardly through the hood aperture 23, andsaid jaw members carry flat rubber buttons 27 on their extremities. Thisconstruction allows the pinchers 24 to be readily operable from theoutside of the hood 10 by merely pressing the flexible nose pieceinwardly to open the jaws and permit the buttons to hold the noseclosed, and thus permit breathing only through the mouth.

In order to separate moisture and other undesired materials from theair, provision is made of a respiratory apparatus 28 attached to thefront of the helmet 10 and comprising a breathing tube 29, aY-connection 30, a manually operated pet-cock 31, and a filter bulb 32.The breather tube 29 is preferably made of corrugated flexible rubbertubing, such as is used in gasmasks, and is provided on its inner endwith an integral mouth piece 33. The breather tube is adapted to passthrough an aperture 34 cut in the lower part of said helmet 10, and hasits outer end fitted tightly upon a reduced neck 35 of the Y-connection30. A tubular member 36 of flexible rubber loosely surrounds the tube 29and is cemented or otherwise secured to that portion of the helmet 10surrounding the mouth aperture 34.

The filter bulb 32 is provided with an enlarged neck 37 for detachablyfitting over a downwardly extending branch 30a of the /-connection 30.An inverted base cup 38 is fitted into the lower open end of the filterbulb 32 and is provided with a plurality of pierced holes 39. A smallerinverted cup 40 also having a plurality of pierced 7 i rotatable tubularshell 45 preferably having a.

cork gasket 46 disposed therebetween. The outer shell 44 is providedwith an integral offset spout 47, While the inner shell 4 5.hasanaperture 48 which is adapted to be rotated into and out of alinementwith said spout. The lower end: of. the inner shell 45 is provided witha pair of spaced circumferential flanges 49 and 50 for forming anannular groove. 51 within which is, engaged the inner' endof a rivet pin52secured. to the. outer shell 4.4. This construction locks the innershell 45 securely within the outer shell 44 against longitudinalmovement, yet allows the same to be rotated freely therein. The innershell is adapted to be manually rotated, by means of av winged handlemember 53 integrally formed: on the lower closedv end of said shell 45.

In order to permit thehelmet to behung upon a. hook when not in use,provision is made of a;

small rubber, lug. 54, attached to the top of the hood 10 and having awirering 55 loosely fittedinv said. lugv 54.

Operation In operation, the helmet, 10 may be quickly put on by firststretching the neck piece 11 so asto allow it to slip over the wearershead. The pinchers, 24 will then. be. operated to clamp it upon the nosetoclose the nostrils, and the mouth piece 33' will be inserted withinthe wearers mouth. When the wearer. desires protection from dust,noxiousgases, etc, the pet-cock 31 will be kept closed and airwill bebreathed in and out only through the filtering bulb 32. conditions thepet-cock 31 may be openeddirectly to the atmosphere. In caseany watershould accidentally getwithin the helmet 10, the water may be easilyreleasedby merely loosening the neck piece 11. and allow the water torunout.

While there has been disclosed in thisspecifi cation one form in whichthe invention may be embodied, it isto'be understoodthat this formisshown for the purpose of. illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure but may bemodified andembodied Under other in various other forms without departing from itsspirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications andembodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a protective helmet, a helmet adapted to fitloosely over a.persons head, a flexible neck piece adapted to fit tightly around apersons neck; a pair of transparent eye pieces in said helmet, meanspivoted between said eye pieces for removing mist from said eye pieces,a nose piece having a; pair of flexible wire pinchers enclosed thereinfor sealing the nostrils of a person, and a valve means'having a mouthpiece through which air, maybe. selectively breathed directly from the.atmosphere or through a filtering device.

2; In aprotectivehelmet, a.helmet adapted to fit over a persons head.1.. breather .tllbe, extend: ing' into said. helmet and hayinga mouthpiece integratwithits. inner end,,a{ Y-connection attached to the outerend of said breather tube,

an adjustable pet-cock attached to one branch of said Yeconnection, a.filtering-bulb secured to the other branchof. said Y.-.conneotion,andmeans in said. filtering bulb. for purifying the air before it isdrawn into the breather tube.

3. In aprotective heimet, a helmet adaptedto. j

fit over apersorfls head,a flexible. breathing tube extending, intosaid. helmet, a Y-connection. at-

tached. to the outer endof said. breather, tube, a. flexible tubularpipe loosely, enclosing, said. breather tube and forming a water-proof.connection betweensaid Y-connection and said helmet, a. filtering, bulbsecured toone branch of said Y-connection, means in-said bulb forpurifying the air. before it is. breathed. into the lungs, a petcockattachedtothe other branch of said Y-con- 1- nection,v andv manuallyoperated handle means connected to said. pet-cock, for opening, a directpassage from. said -connection to the atmosphere.

4. Inaheadprotector, a flexible helmetadaptin a arc over said eyepieces, for removing mist therefrom, said wiper member havinga handlemember locatedon the exterior of said helmet to facilitate themanipulation thereof.

DQMEN Q A, F RTUN TQ-

